ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture celebrated‘Sankalp Parva during 28th June - 12th July, 2020 by planting saplings of 5 trees identified as herbal heritage : Shri Prahlad Singh Patel
On the clarion call of the PM, Ministry of Culture initiated a drive of ‘Sankalp Parva” from 28th June to 12th July 2020 with objective to create clean/ healthy environment in the country. The Ministry recommended to plant saplings of five trees viz  Bargad  Awla  Peepal  Ashok  Bel which were identified as herbal heritage of the country. Ministry requested all its Attached, Subordinate offices and Autonomous Organizations to plant saplings in its office premises/ campus or at the surroundings wherever possible. No separate fund was allocated towards the drive by the Ministry. Ministry through various social media gave publicity to the programme. During this drive total 11,442 saplings were planted by the officers/ officials of Ministry and its Attached, Subordinate Offices and Autonomous Organizations in office premises or wherever possible.
This information was given by the Minister of State  of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Science & Technology
"Government has simplified Patents regime for Start-ups, MSMEs": Shri Piyush Goyal
Minister gives away Global Bio-India Awards
The Union Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyis Goyal has said the Government has simplified the Patents regime for Start-ups, MSMEs among others to encourage innovation. He assured the Department of Industrial will extend all support to new and emerging enterprises in Biotechnology sector. Shri Goyal was addressing the gathering after giving away Awards at the Global Bio-India Summit, 2019 here today.
Shri Goyal said biotechnology is a key sector to fulfill India's aspirations. "The Prime Minister's Vision of New India is intertwined to DBT's enterprising endeavours", he said. "The aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians rests on our success to adopt technology, - innovations that lead to transformations", he added.
Shri Goyal said India was the first country in thw world to have a separate Department of Bio-Technology. "Outside the US, the largest number of FDA approved drugs, 523 in numbers, come from India", he said. "From the present nearly Rupees 3.5 lakh crore worth of BT industry in India, the DBT aims to top Rs.7 lakh crore output by 2025 and analysts say this could even touch Rs.11/12 lakh crores", he added.
Calling upon academia, industry and government to come together, Shri Goyal said sustainability will be the fulcrum for innovation.
Shri Goyal gave away GBI awards and also released various reports besides launching a web portal for BT Start-ups.
Member, NITI Aayog, Dr. Vinod K. Paul and Secretary, DBT, Dr. Renu Swarup also addressed the gathering.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Agri-Startups
This Ministry has launched a component called “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana  in 2018-19 with objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. This Ministry has appointed five Knowledge Partners  as Centre of Excellence and twenty four RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators  from across the country for implementation of this programme.
Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat is one of the R-ABIs under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” to promote agriculture startups in Gujarat.
Number of startups selected during the last two years in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and financial assistance provided to them under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme is given below.

|
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State/Year
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|
Number of agro-startups selected
|
|
Financial assistance given
|
|
|
|
2019-20
|
|
2020-21
|
|
2019-20
|
|
2020-21
|
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
13
|
|
19
|
|
69.00
|
|
85.80
|
|
Rajasthan
|
|
3
|
|
18
|
|
18.00
|
|
97.00
“Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme of this Ministry is basically meant for promotion of agri-startups. Various provisions regarding startups are governed by norms laid down by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade .
Start-ups of agriculture and allied sectors in areas such as agricultural logistics, value & supply chain management, online/virtual platform, organic farming & services etc. are supported under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme of this Ministry.
646 start-ups in the agriculture and allied sectors have been selected under “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” for funding of a sum of Rs. 69.92 crore in installments and Rs. 33.94 crore has been released to respective KPs and RABIs for funding these start-ups.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Rural Development
More than 30,000 Amrit Sarovars dedicated to the country in a short span of nine months
60% of targeted 50,000 Sarovars by 15th August 2023 completed
Significant achievement of Ministry of Rural Development with ‘Jan Bhagidari’ as its core
Excavated soil/silt being used to raise infrastructure projects in the vicinity
Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on 24th April, 2022 in the 75th year of Independence as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with the target to construct/ rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district across the country and with the objective to overcome the water crisis in rural areas of the country.
A target of construction of 50,000 Amrit Sarovars was set to be completed by 15th August, 2023. Till date, more than 30,000 Amrit Sarovars, which constitutes 60% of the total target, have been constructed within a short span of 9 months.
‘Jan Bhagidari’ has been the core of this Mission and involves people’s participation at all levels. States/UTs are leveraging the participation of freedom fighters, eldest members of the panchayat, family members of freedom fighters and martyrs, Padma Awardees, etc. for the purposes like laying of foundation stone of the designated Amrit Sarovar sites, flag hoisting on important dates like 26th January and 15th August. So far, 1,095 freedom fighters, 13,940 eldest members of the panchayat, 193 family members of freedom fighters, 624 family members of martyrs and 47 Padma Awardees have participated in the Mission.
‘Whole of Government’ approach is the soul of this Mission, wherein six Central Ministries, namely Ministry of Rural Development together with Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, are operational in convergence with technical organizations, namely Bhaskaracharya National Institute of Space Applications and Geo-Informatics , and all the States/UTs Governments.
The highlight of this convergence is that the Ministry of Railway and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are using the excavated soil/silt for infrastructure projects in the vicinity of the demarcated Amrit Sarovar sites.
Various Public and CSR Bodies have also shown great interest in this Mission and are playing a significant role by contributing in construction/ rejuvenation of several Amrit Sarovars across the country.
More significantly, Mission Amrit Sarovar is boosting the rural livelihood as the completed Sarovars have been identified for the purpose of different activities such as irrigation, fisheries, duckery, cultivation of water chestnut and animal husbandry, etc. These activities are being carried out by different user groups which are linked to each Amrit Sarovar.
The Mission Amrit Sarovar also aims qualitative implementation and development of Amrit Sarovar as a hub of local community activities and convergence with different Ministries for Amrit Sarovar Works.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
IIMC PG Diploma Admissions : Last date to apply extended to May 15
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication has extended the last date for receiving online application forms for its various PG Diploma Programmes till 15th May from the earlier date of 12th May. The institute had been receiving requests for extension of last date, particularly from students in Odisha and adjoining states, where communication services were badly affected due to severe cyclonic storm.
Admissions have been announced for 476 seats across IIMC’s six campuses in Delhi, Dhenkanal , Aizawl , Jammu , Amravati  and Kottayam . The Institute has also introduced 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section.
The selection for the IIMC PG Diploma Courses will be through a national level entrance examinations comprising a descriptive written test, group discussion and interview. The written examination for the IIMC PG Diploma Courses in Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, and Urdu will be held on Saturday, 25th May. For English Journalism, Hindi Journalism, Radio & TV Journalism and Advertising & Public Relations, the written test will be held on Sunday, 26th May, 2019.
Indian nationals possessing a recognized Bachelor’s degree in any field are eligible to apply. The details of Course content, fees structure and the process of online application can be accessed at the Institute’s website www.iimc.gov.in
AYUSH
AYUSH Minister reviews arrangements at Covid Centre in AIIA
The Minister of State  for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, visited the COVID-19 Health Centre  at All India Institute of Ayurveda , Sarita Vihar, New Delhi today. The Minister reviewed the arrangements at the Centre for treatment of COVID-19 patients. He also interacted with the team of doctors and enquired about the wellbeing of the patients at the centre. He sought their feedback about the facilities available at the COVID-19 health centre and the results of treatment by Ayurvedic medicines.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the services provided by AIIA in wake of COVID 19 pandemic. He said that the spirit, enthusiasm, courage and efforts of the whole team of AIIA in providing care to the COVID positive patients on the basis of principles of Ayurveda is praiseworthy. AIIA is playing an exemplary role in providing Holistic care through individualized Ayurveda Medicine, diet, Yoga and Relaxation techniques to COVID 19 patients across India.
The Minister further said that the positive feedback of the COVID-19 patients at the Institute is quite encouraging. All the patients at CHC developed a positive approach towards life and were very satisfied with the transformation within them. This will help them not only in overcoming the disease but also in other phases of their life. He congratulated the whole team of AIIA for their exemplary role in their efforts to treat the COVID 19 patients through Holistic Ayurveda care. He stated that the traditional system of India - Ayurveda has a huge potential in preventive and curative health care of this pandemic. Majority of the patients admitted in CHC were administered standalone Ayurveda treatment protocol including diet and Yoga. Patients were discharged at good health showing hundred percent recoveries without complications during the treatment period with SPO2 more than ninety percent. No aggravation of symptoms was observed. It is also observed that there has been zero percent mortality till now in admitted patients. All were tested negative before discharge. The knowledge and the experience of the team would surely place Ayurveda as a frontline heath care system in combating this pandemic.
Minister also visited the Free COVID-19 testing centre at AIIA. AIIA has been designated as COVID-19 testing centre  by Government of Delhi.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Indian Ocean Rim Association  meet on Disaster Risk Management begins tomorrow
To help strengthen cooperation in disaster response
The Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority  is organising a meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association  Cluster Group on Disaster Risk Management  on 5-6 February 2019 in New Delhi.
Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation and has many disaster-prone countries among its 22 members and nine dialogue partners. DRM is one of its priority areas and its Action Plan  has specific goals to improve resilience in IORA countries.
The two-day meeting will feature interactive sessions and will focus on development of a draft Work Plan for DRM in IORA. It will also deliberate on the need for establishing a DRM Core Group to take forward the agreed objectives under the Work Plan.
It would strengthen cooperation in disaster response interventions, including deployment of response teams and mobilization of relief material to affected countries. Deliberations at the meeting would also aid information exchange, establishment of disaster database and sharing of best practices.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
FTII announces course in Film Criticism and the Art of Review
Breaking yet another new ground, Film and Television Institute of India  Pune has announced, for the first time, a course in Film Criticism and the Art of Review.
The 20-day Course would be conducted from 28th May to 19th June, 2019 in Delhi in association with Indian Institute of Mass Communication , Delhi.
Talking about the course, Shri Bhupendra Kainthola, Director, FTII, said that it meets a long-standing demand of cinema critics, film reviewers, film bloggers, research scholars, film academics and just about anyone who has more than ordinary interest in cinema. He added that one needs to know how to ‘read’ a film in order to review it, the tools for which will be provided through this course.
The course would be helmed by Bhopal-based filmmaker Ms. Rajula Shah, an FTII alumnus. She studied film direction at FTII from 1997 to 2000. Her film practice emerges from an intense dialogue with the various arts, schools of thought and philosophies through a close collaboration with people, their work and contexts. Her special interest of study and work is in the expanding scope of the film practice & the digital arts.
Talking about the course, Ms. Shah said that it has been designed to provide a basic grounding in the discipline of Film Criticism and to train the participants into becoming a serious viewers of Cinema. She added that the course includes the study of significant films in the history of cinema through the prism of critical thinking.
The Course is being conducted under FTII's countrywide film education outreach initiative SKIFT  under which over 135 short-term courses have been held in 37 cities across the country covering over 5800 learners.
The Course is open to all, with no age bar. Last date for applying is 22nd April 2019. Accommodation will be made available on request for selected participants coming from outside Delhi. Course details are available on www.ftii.ac.in
Ministry of Defence
Chief of Staff, Japan Air Self Defense Force on Goodwill visit to India
General Izutsu Shunji, Chief of Staff, Japan Air Self Defense Force  arrived in India on 09 December 2020 on a formal invitation from Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chief of the Air Staff , Indian Air Force. Besides being hosted at Air Headquarters by the CAS, CoS-JASDF called on Shri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri at his office and held meetings with Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
On his arrival at Air Headquarters, CoS-JASDF was presented with a Guard of Honour. In subsequent discussions, CAS and CoS-JASDF recognised the progress made in defence ties between India and Japan and discussed avenues to further enhance cooperation and interoperability between the two Air Forces. They also discussed scope for enhancement of joint exercises and training between the two Air Forces. A broader cooperation for strengthening collective response to HADR contingencies was also discussed.
Overcoming the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, the visit reaffirms the deep rooted commitment to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the Air Forces.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
NHA and IRDAI jointly organized a workshop for Insurance Companies and TPAs for helping them complete integration with ABDM and National Health Claims Exchange 
The three-day workshop saw participation by representatives from 45 insurance companies and Third-Party Administrators 
The National Health Authority  and IRDAI  jointly organized an exclusive three-day Accelerator Workshop to help insurance companies complete their ABDM integration and to facilitate adoption of Health Claims Exchange  specifications and e-Claim standards for insurance companies and Third-Party Administrators . The workshop was organized from 10th to 12th August 2023 in New Delhi and saw participation from over 150 professionals representing 29 insurance companies and 16 TPAs.
The IRDAI had issued a circular in June 2023 advising all insurance companies to start capturing ABHA  number of all of the persons seeking insurance cover and also to obtain their consent for sharing medical records with insurers/TPAs through АВНА. The ABHA number would help identify the insured in a digital environment and facilitate seamless healthcare and insurance service delivery. It would give insurers easy and timely access to a person's medical information in a safe and paperless manner and help the insured with a transparent and speedy process of claims servicing.
Further, the IRDAI also issued a circular advising the insurers and providers get on-boarded to the National Health Claims Exchange . The NHCX will serve as a gateway for exchanging claims-related information among stakeholders present in the healthcare and health insurance ecosystem including insurers, TPAs, claimants, beneficiaries, healthcare providers etc. The integration with NHCX will enable seamless interoperability of health claims processing. More information on the NHCX is available here: https://sbxhcx.abdm.gov.in/
The combined efforts from the teams resulted in 29 entities, including 23 insurance companies and 6 TPAs completing their first level  of ABDM integration, which enables them to create and verify ABHA. Further, 20 insurance companies were also able to successfully complete Level 1.2 of their NHCX integration which would enable them to link or delink ABHA with an insurance policy.
Speaking about the outcomes from this workshop, CEO, NHA said – “This Accelerator Workshop was a first-of-its-kind focused initiative for ABDM adoption in the insurance sector. The large number of entities who got successfully integrated demonstrate the power of collaborative working to achieve a larger goal. This has definitely encouraged us to organize more such workshops to strengthen the digital health ecosystem.”
NHA and CDAC, Pune provided technical support to the representatives from insurance companies and TPAs and helped them complete the respective integrations. The General Insurance Council  helped in bringing the concerned teams from leading insurers and providers for the workshop.
Ministry of Rural Development
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization interacts with SHG members and officials of MoRD
SHG members shared their experience of working with SHG
Dr. Ngozi appreciates initiatives taken by the SHG members during the pandemic
During the on-going visit of Her Excellency Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General , World Trade Organization  to India, she interacted with the officials of Ministry of Rural Development , Government of India and women of Self-Help Group  promoted under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission , MoRD on 22nd October, 2021.
Shri Charanjit Singh, Joint Secretary, MoRD led the discussions and Sh. Raghvendra Pratap Singh, Director, MoRD and a team of thematic experts from the National Mission Management Unit, DAY-NRLM, MoRD attended the meeting. Sh. Brajendra Navnit, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of India to the WTO Geneva, Switzerland and Mr. Abhimaniu Sharma, DOC, Ministry of Commerce participated in the meeting.
Shri Charanjit Singh presented an overview of DAY-NRLM components and activities conducted by the SHGs during the COVID-19 outbreak. DG, WTO also interacted virtually with Ms. Rambeti Sen, Master Krishi Sakhi of Vishwanath SHG from Madhya Pradesh, Ms. Sushma Devi, BC Sakhi of Durga SHG from Bihar, Ms Jamuna, President of Krishna Bhagwan CLF and Jai Chamunda SHG from Madhya Pradesh, Ms Sujatha Unnikrishnan Secretary of Vismaya SHG from Kerala and Ms Nandini Devi, Entrepreneur of Ma Gayatri SHG from Jharkhand.
She enquired SHG members about their areas of work, experience of joining SHG, how it has impacted them economically and socially and how SHGs addressed challenges imposed by the disease outbreak.
The SHG members shared their experience of working with SHG and informed that their economic and social situation has improved and now they are able to take care of their families, children and themselves better. They informed about their work i.e. disbursement of money at the door step during the COVID-19, supporting SHG households in setting up of the Agri-Nutrition Garden, promoting Agro-Ecological practices, setting up of enterprises like soap, sanitizer making, spices etc, awareness generation on COVID-19 appropriate behaviours, addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the community, distribution of free dry rations and cooked food to the vulnerable etc.
DG, WTO congratulated SHG members for their efforts in making a positive difference in their lives and community. She specially appreciated initiatives taken by the SHG members during the pandemic and wished them well in their future endeavours.